Key signals
Survey biomass increased steadily from the early 2000s, peaking around 2014–2016, followed by a decline across all surveys in recent years.
Small redfish (<30 cm) were rarely observed in surveys from 2009 to 2020. However, since 2021, surveys show a marked increase in small individuals (4–11 cm) and was in the 2026 spring survey the highest since the early 1990’s.
Length distributions from surveys and fisheries show a progressive shift toward larger fish over time, reflecting an aging population and a long period (2009–2020) with low recruitment.
Spawning stock biomass (SSB) peaked in 2016 but has declined but remains high.
Fishing mortality (F) remained below FMSY since 2009, but has increased since.
Stock description and management units
Golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus) in ICES Subareas 5 and 14 (Greenland Sea, Icelandic Waters, and Faroes Ecoregions) have been treated as a single management unit. Catches from ICES Subarea 6 have traditionally been included in this report, and this practice has been maintained. However, data from Subarea 6 are not used in the analytical stock assessment.
Fishery
Landing trends
Total landings of golden redfish declined by over 70% between 1982 and 1994, falling from 130,429 t to 43,515 t (Figure 1). From 1995 to 2016, annual landings fluctuated between 33,451 t and 59,698 t, peaking in 2016. Since then, landings have decreased. In 2025, total landings were 43,726 t, which is an increase of 1,551 t compared to 2024. About 87% of the catch was taken in Icelandic waters (ICES Division 5.a) in 2025.
In Icelandic waters, landings decreased from 97,899 t in 1982 to 38,669 t in 1994 (Figure 1). Between 1995 and 2016, landings ranged from 31,686 t to 54,041 t, with the highest in 2016. Since then, annual catches have declined. In 2025 the annual catch was 38,232, similar as in 2024.
Between 90% and 95% of the golden redfish catch in Icelandic waters is taken by bottom trawlers specifically targeting the species. The remainder is caught as bycatch in gillnet, longline, and shrimp fisheries. In 2025, as in previous years, the majority of catches were made along the continental shelf southwest, west, and northwest of Iceland (Figure 2). However, a growing proportion of the catch is now being taken along the northwestern shelf, accompanied by a reduction in fishing effort in the southern and southwestern areas (Figure 3). Most catches occur at depths between 100 and 400 meters (Figure 4).
The number of vessels responsible for 95% of the landings has steadily declined (Figure 5), from over 110 in 1995 to around 45 in 2025.
In Faroese waters, landings declined from 9,194 t in 1985 to less than 200 t by 2016 (Figure 1). After a temporary increase during 2017–2020 to an average of 1,250 t, landings dropped sharply again in 2021–2025, averaging just 231 t per year. Most catches in Faroese waters are taken by pair and single trawlers (vessels >1,000 HP).
In East Greenland waters, landings reached 30,962 t in 1982 before declining sharply to 2,117 t by 1985 (Figure 1). During 1985–1994, annual catches ranged from 687 t to 4,255 t. From 1995 to 2009, there was little or no directed fishery for golden redfish, with landings under 200 t annually, mostly as bycatch in the shrimp fishery. In 2010, landings rose to 1,650 t, driven by increased S. mentella targeting. From 2010 to 2025, annual landings ranged from 1,000 t to 5,442 t. In 2025, landings totalled 5,280 t, 1,699 t (47%) more than in 2024.
Catch per unit effort
The unstandardized CPUE index from the Icelandic bottom trawl fleet operating in Division 5.a increased sharply from 2006, reaching the highest levels in the time series during 2017–2019 (Figure 6). Although CPUE has declined somewhat since then, it remains relatively high. Data for 2022 are not available.
Fishing effort directed at golden redfish has steadily decreased since 1986 and is currently at the lowest level recorded in the time series (Figure 6). While CPUE estimates derived from logbook data are not used in the stock assessment, the logbooks provide valuable information on fishing effort as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of the fishery.
CPUE data from other areas are not available.
Discard
Comparison of sea and port samples from the Icelandic discard sampling program does not indicate significant discarding due to high grading (Pálsson et al. 2010). Substantial discarding of small redfish occurred in the deep-water shrimp fishery between 1986 and 1992, prior to the introduction of mandatory sorting grids. Since the implementation of sorting grids and a decline in the abundance of small redfish in the area, discards have been considered negligible.
Currently, discarding of redfish species in the shrimp fishery in ICES Division 14.b is also regarded as insignificant.
Data and sampling
Commercial data
The table below shows sampling of golden redfish from the catches by ICES divisions in 2025.
| Area | Nation | Gear | Landings (t) | Samples | No. length measured | No. Age read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.a | Iceland | Bottom trawl | 38,232 | 133 | 26,240 | 1,134 |
| 5.b | Faroe Islands | Bottom trawl | 214 | |||
| 14 | Greenland | Bottom trawl | 5,280 |
Sampling from the commercial catches in Icelandic waters is considered adequate. The program appears to cover both the spatial and seasonal distribution of the fishery effectively (Figure 7, Figure 8).
